Pat
Fitzpatrick, founding member of the Home Van and long-time Home Van driver, has
retired from the Home Van to focus on some personal challenges, although, as I
will explain, he has not retired from helping his friends in the homeless
community. This party will celebrate Pat’s enormous contribution to the Home
Van and his untiring efforts to combat hunger in our community.

I
can’t imagine what the Home Van would be without Pat’s role in making it what it
is. He taught me how to reach out to people. I’m a bit of introvert and also
grew up in Vermont, the Introvert Capital of the country. I was frozen in place
at the idea of going up to strangers, giving them food and even talking to
them. On those first few driveouts I just watched Pat, whose resume included a long stretch of union organizing in
Immokalee, Florida, where he had his office at Ernie’s Flophouse.

He’d
see a down-and-out looking person and he’d walk right up to them with that big,
cheesy Irish grin from ear to ear, clap them on the back and say, “Hey, Buddy!
Howya doing?” No one could resist him.

That
first winter of 2002 was one of the coldest in Florida history, with many nights
in the twenties and thirties. We were, to the best of my knowledge, the only
group doing direct outreach on the streets. That winter Pat and I would drive
around town on cold nights - down alleys, across parking lots, behind dumpsters,
into patches of woods – with two gallons of hot chocolate and a load of
blankets.

When
I got a call from United Way 211 about someone desperate for food, Pat would
take them a bag of groceries – any time, anywhere. He says, “This is my job.”
He often quotes from books he’s reading on the principles of Catholic Social
Justice. He tells me, “If you have two coats, one of those coats belongs to the
poor.”

Even
in relative retirement, he’s still doing his job. This summer he discovered
that the water fountain in the downtown plaza is defective. He brought this to
the attention of the Parks and Recreation Department, who plan to replace it.
In the meantime, he goes down to the plaza most nights with a big cooler of ice
cold bottled water. He sits out schmoozing with the passersby and offering
water to anyone who’s thirsty.

The good folks of 1982
are also hosting this event as a benefit for the Home Van. Come join us in honoring Pat.

CHRISTMAS STOCKING TIME

As
most of you know, the Home Van hosts a yearly Christmas party for our homeless
friends at the downtown community plaza. This year’s party will be on Thursday,
December 19 at 6 p.m., in the little parking lot on the east side of the Civil
Courthouse and down from the Lunchbox Café. It is a custom that people from all
over the community – school children, office staffs, bowling teams, scout
troops, families, neighborhoods – stuff Christmas stockings and bring them to
the party. Some people also bring home baked goodies. This year the Unitarian
Youth Choir is coming down to serenade us with Christmas carols.

For
you new folks, here is how you do a Christmas stocking: Buy a pair of white
athletic or tube socks. Stuff one sock into the toe of the other sock. Stuff
the sock with Christmas presents and tie off the end. Suggested stocking
stuffers include but are not limited to: candy canes, chocolate bars, candles,
small flashlights, batteries, stamped envelopes, reading glasses, nail files,
gloves, caps, hotel-size soaps, and shampoos, lotion, pens, puzzle books,
paperback books, playing cards.... The various dollar stores are great places to
find affordable stocking stuffers. I have to ask that no one put money into a
Christmas stocking. It is painful when some people get money and others don’t,
especially toward end of the month when everyone’s broke.

ADVOCACY GROUP MEETING

As
you know, about a dozen Home Van supporters are forming a group to do research
on homeless issues, followed by efforts to educate the community on who our
homeless friends are and what challenges they face. This group’s goal is to
shine the light of knowledge on irrational fear of homeless people. The group’s
first meeting will be Tuesday, October 8 at the Civic Media Center, 433 South
Main Street, 7 p.m. Anyone who did not sign up for this group but feels
inspired to come are most welcome. I will be circulating notes by email for
those who can’t make this meeting.

MYLAR
BLANKETS

It’s
time to start collecting mylar blankets. These blankets, also called space
blankets, are available at WalMart and at any store that offers camping
supplies. They generally cost under a dollar each. They can also be purchased
on line at a multitude of sites. Anyone who is charging a dollar or more per
blanket, don’t buy from them. You can do better. I think it’s going to be
particularly important this winter to have a large supply of these blankets on
hand. The number of people coming to us for supplies has doubled since last May
and many of them are sick or elderly.

STATUS OF THE ONE-STOP

The
City Commission has voted to buy the old Gainesville Correctional Institute on
39th avenue, in it’s entirety. The State has agreed to expedite this purchase,
so the city may own the site as early as this November. The center will start
offering some services as soon as possible. It is going to be a long process to
get this Homeless Empowerment Center, as it is now called, up and running in
full. It is likely that our homeless friends are going to have to struggle
through another winter on their own for the most part. May this be the last
one!

WHAT
WE NEED

We
are low on double A and triple A batteries, personal hygiene products, and
paperback books. You can call me at 372-4825, to arrange for drop off.

The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water, bug spray,Vienna
sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and
games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van
should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc.,
earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL
32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A
PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A
COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM
THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY
ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE
STATE.

About Me

I'm a 13th-generation Vermonter who grew up in North Bennington. Now I live in Florida, where I coordinate an outreach mission, part of Citizens for Social Justice, which delivers food, clothing, friendship, and other necessities of life to homeless people in Gainesville. I write an email newsletter, with stories about our homeles friends. To read highlights from the Home Van Journal, visit my other blog, http://homevan.blogspot.com/